"When we have seen them coming in, they have some kind of psychotic episode where they are hallucinating. Some are unconscious,” said Antwan Brownlee, behavioral health clinician at Northside Forsyth Hospital. “From this EMS report, they had given the patient Narcan, and the person was responsive when we started to do the evaluation."

The DEA is considering criminalizing kratom, saying it has a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use in treatment.